18
I felt like I had been smiling far too much.
Yet, while we had dinner together, even as we moved to dessert and ended with fruit—of which Toop seemed to enjoy an exceptional amount—accompanied by soft music at the riverside restaurant, I could not stop smiling.
Even when he occasionally glanced at me, I could not help but smile back.
Initially, I thought I might have imagined it, but at one point, when I glanced at Toop—after we stayed a little longer to enjoy the breeze and music instead of heading home immediately after the meal—I saw it clearly.
He smiled.
It was a smile similar to mine, or maybe even more profound, like when we had noodles at that delicious vendor.
I wanted to comment on it, but I did not want to ruin the moment and see the smile vanish.
So, I settled for secretly watching him instead.
Before leaving, the waitstaff and the restaurant owner asked to take pictures with Toop.
As I intended to wait for him in the car, he instead kept me by his side.
Nearly every photo included me, and no one objected.
What delighted me even more was that my phone also held pictures of me and Toop from our visit to that riverside restaurant.
“Anshan.”
“Y-yes?”
I jumped as Toop knocked on the bathroom door while I was drying my hair in front of the mirror.
“Are you done showering?”
“Yes, I’m done.”
I opened the door, only to be slightly taken aback to find Toop waiting outside.
“Do you need something?”
“You were taking so long, so I came to check. And this.”
I looked up at the man who stood at least ten centimeters taller than me, puzzled.
I took a small step back as he leaned his flawless face closer.
“Mr. Toop.”
“Sorry,”
he murmured after I called out, pulling back and blinking.
“I just smelled something nice.”
I tilted my shoulders and sniffed my pajamas, frowning.
“I don’t smell anything. Could it be the fabric softener?”
With that, I bent down to sniff my clothes again for confirmation.
“But it’s the same scent as usual.”
“Ne-never mind. Since you’re done, come out so I can apply the coconut oil.”
I nodded and obediently walked out of the bathroom, intending to grab the bottle from the table.
However, at the same moment, Toop also reached for it.
“I can get it myself,”
I stammered awkwardly, my body suddenly feeling stiff.
It was not just his hand brushing against mine—it was also because he had leaned in, practically pressing against my back.
“I’ll handle it.
You go lie still on the bed.”
“Lie still?”
I let go of the cold-pressed coconut oil bottle Thian had brought and turned to face him.
Our faces were only a few inches apart, causing me to reflexively pull back as if triggered by a switch.
Toop shrugged.
“I told you at the riverside restaurant—I’d be the one to apply it.”
“That’s not what you said. You said, ‘Good, we can apply it tonight,’”
I countered quickly.
Toop, who was now standing with his arms crossed, stepped closer, causing me to widen my eyes.
I stumbled and ended up sitting on the edge of the bed, with Toop following to pin me down.
“Th- that’s too close.”
“I’ll apply it,”
he said, his tone cold and expression stoic, but I was not having it.
“Your husband is offering to do this for you, Anshan,”
he said, his face and tone suddenly shifting, leaving me bewildered by his quick transitions.
“An.”
“F-fine! But just for tonight,”
I conceded in a soft voice.
Toop said nothing, merely moving away from me.
“Unbutton your pajamas and lie down.”
“Huh? Isn’t it just for my stomach?”
I retorted, my eyes widening as I looked at him.
Toop glanced at the coconut oil bottle in his hand, then back at me.
“They say you’re supposed to apply it to your stomach, chest, thighs, hips, and—”
“Then I’m not doing it.
Ugh!”
“Do you want to have stretch marks?”
Before I could leap up and protest, Toop leaned forward, his body suddenly pressing closer, leaving me lying flat on the bed, instead of half-sitting as before, with my eyes shut tight.
Even without looking, I could sense that he was pinning my wrists.
“Don’t be stubborn, Anshan.
We’ve already been intimate so many times.”
“But—”
It was strange, was it not?
Letting him do this. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
I opened my eyes and found myself staring into his, but just as he leaned closer, lips nearly touching, I turned my face away.
“F-fine.
Just move away so I can u- unbutton my shirt.”
“Remove your pants too.”
“Huh?!”
“You don’t want stretch marks on your hips, do you?”
“Mr. Toop!”
He smirked.
“Okay, fine.
You can handle that part yourself.
Satisfied?”
“Of course.
It was going to be like that anyway, you pervert!”
“What was that?”
he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
I quickly smiled awkwardly and repositioned myself in the middle of the bed, sighing deeply before unbuttoning my newly worn pajama top.
“You must have misheard. I didn’t say anything. Just get on with it—I’m sleepy.”
He seemed to smile but did not quite follow through.
“Then you can sleep. Once I’m done, I’ll button you back up,”
Toop said, sitting on the bed beside me as my body stiffened.
“But—”
He raised an eyebrow as he opened the bottle of coconut oil, the faint scent wafting through the room.
“Why, why do you insist on doing this for me?”
He always let me handle everything about taking care of myself, just like before, even when he had free time to be with me, our moments of closeness were so scarce.
“Because you’re my wife.”
“And before this?”
I asked, voicing the thoughts I had kept to myself for so long.
Toop met my gaze silently before his lips moved to answer.
“You’ve been my wife since the day we got married, Anshan.”
“But back then—Ah.”
I let out a sound, unfamiliar even to myself, as warmth spread across my face with embarrassment.
While we were still talking, his hand, slightly slick with oil, touched me.
“Why aren’t you using cotton pads?”
I shouted at him before biting my lip, glaring at the culprit who seemed more amused than remorseful.
“Using cotton pads wouldn’t work as well as hands.
Or are you just sensitive because it’s my hands?”
“I—”
I did not know how to counter him, so I turned my face away in frustration.
“Do whatever you want.
I’m going to sleep.”
“Such a sulk.”
I let out a huff of annoyance, shut my eyes, and tried to sleep.
Yet, something about this was strange—from Toop insisting on applying the oil for me, to his touch, as he smoothed the lightly fragrant liquid across my skin.
“Ah.”
“Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head, eyes still shut tight.
“Then what’s wrong?”
His tone did not carry annoyance, only a trace of concern that I could sense.
“I’m just- not used to this.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“Can’t you just let me do it myself?”
“I already said, I’ll do it for you.”
“But I—Ah!”
The gentle but arousing sensation of his hand across my stomach eased some of the tension in my muscles.
But when he moved upward toward my chest, I had to open my eyes and let out a startled cry as the contact grazed my nipple.
I was not sure if he was doing this on purpose.
“Sensitive, are we?”
“Mr. Toop!”
His deadpan expression only made me want to cry.
He did not understand how uncomfortable it was for me to lie there, shirt unbuttoned, while he moved his hands all over me.
He could not possibly know how heightened my sensitivity was.
“Anshan.”
“I won’t let you apply it anymore,”
I declared, sitting up abruptly.
“Hand me the coconut oil.
I’ll go finish this in the bathroom myself.”
“I told you, I’m doing it.”
“But you’re teasing me on purpose—Ah.”
I jerked backward, closing my eyes tightly as he leaned in closer.
“How am I teasing you?”
His question made me stumble over my words.
I opened my eyes to meet his, and I could tell—he knew.
He had felt my reactions earlier and was playing coy.
“If you don’t tell me, I won’t know, Anshan.”
“I— I already told you, I’ll do it myself. Whoa!”
Things escalated far too quickly.
As I turned to scold him, Toop’s oiled hand pressed against my stomach again.
But it did not stop there—he pinned me down, leaving me lying helplessly as he loomed over me, preventing any movement.
“Mr. Toop!”
“I won’t apply it, then.”
“Then let me go.”
“But I want to do something else,”
he replied, his tone low and unsettling, but I would not let him mess with my head or my emotions anymore.
“An.”
I could only move my wrists slightly.
His voice softened, making me shiver as my breaths caught, trembling.
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
“I— feel what?
I just want to go to the bathroom.”
“To take care of yourself, perhaps?”
“Ah, Mr. Toop!”
How many times did I have to call his name, only to have him tease me like this?
His finger trailed down from my stomach, brushing against me through the soft fabric of my long pajama pants.
Something underneath had already stirred since he began applying the oil.
“Hmm.”
He smiled—not a wicked smile that made me feel slighted, but one that sent my heart racing nonetheless.
“Let me- let me go to the bathroom, please, Mr. Toop. I—Ah.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as he leaned closer, his warm breath tickling my neck.
“Why not let your husband take care of it here, on the bed, Anshan?”
We locked eyes, my breath hitching.
Slowly, I began to take shorter, shakier breaths.
“Well, my dear wife, what’s your answer?”
I stared at him.
“Just say ‘no’ one more time, and I’ll stop. I’ll let you go to the bathroom.”
Toop’s voice held a seriousness that lacked the teasing or playful tone from earlier.
“But I’m hoping you’ll let me. Hoping you’ll say your husband can hold you.”
And when have I ever been able to refuse him?
Whether his approach was commanding, persuasive, or disarmingly gentle—as though we were more than just married partners or parents-to-be—I could not.
Tonight, it felt like he truly cared about how I felt.
“Anshan.”
“You deliberately used the excuse of applying coconut oil to seduce me.”
My voice came out soft as I lowered my gaze, refusing to meet his eyes.
But soon enough, I looked back up to face him.
“I’ll allow you to apply the oil all over. But when it’s time to wash it off, I expect you to clean everything—every corner, every spot—just like always.”
He smirked.
“Deal.
But I might take my time applying it.”
“Mm.”
Before I could fully process what I had just agreed to, he leaned in and captured my lips.
My eyes widened in surprise but did not shut tightly like they had before.
When he released my wrists, allowing me to move freely, I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck.
As Toop pulled back slightly to meet my gaze, I took the initiative this time, pressing my lips to his.
The kiss soon deepened into ours.
Heat spread through my body as his embrace tightened.
His tongue entwined with mine, eliciting soft, breathy sounds that made me blush even though we had shared countless kisses before.
It felt good.
My flushed gaze met his, breath hitching, as I realized that coconut oil was not just for moisturizing.
Toop used more condoms than letting himself finish inside like he usually did.
However, just as before he coated his fingers with the oil, sliding two into me to stretch my passage.
As he thrust his hardened length into me, I lay face-down against the soft pillows and bed.
His oil-slicked hand roamed my chest, teasing my sensitive nipples while the other stroked me below.
His firm grip also kneaded my rear, occasionally nipping at the skin and making me jolt.
Though everything progressed slowly, it all led to him carrying me to the bathtub.
He handled me with more care than he ever had.
My belly had yet to show any noticeable changes.
He kissed me repeatedly, teased my nipples until I whimpered, and filled me with every motion of his hips.
Even though he wore protection, the sensations were as overwhelming and satisfying as ever.
It was good.
So good.